The Monument - Community News for Gray, New Gloucester, Cumberland, N. Yarmouth, Raymond and Windham Maine

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Welcome Alyssa!
Melissa (Dudley) Howard and John Edward Howard are the pleased to announce the arrival of Alyssa Lillian Elizabeth Howard, a baby girl. Alyssa was born on January 27, 2005 at The Birthplace at Mercy, Portland, Maine. The Grandparents are Barbara Howard & Robert Howard Sr. from Gray and Mary & Robert Dudley of Portland. Great Grandparents are Mary Dickson of Fort Lauderdale, FL. and Clarence Howard of South Portland.

Curves Supports Communities Nationwide with 7th Annual Food Drive

Curves, 30 Minute Fitness and Weight Loss Center, in Gray will be joining the Curves International Inc. "Curves Food Drive" to benefit local food banks. Last year, the Curves food drive collected over 4,000 tons of food for local communities. Anyone joining Curves the week of March 7th may bring a bag of groceries and have the normal service fee waived. Anyone may drop off non-perishable food items at Curves Monday through Friday during business hours during the month of March.

Early New Gloucester history to be a feature at Historical Society
Larry S. Glatz, chairman of the Oxford County Bicentennial, will be the speaker at the March 17, 2005 meeting of the New Gloucester Historical Society. The meeting begins at 7:30 at the New Gloucester Meetinghouse, next to the Town Hall. The public is invited.

What is New Gloucester's connection to Oxford County? Come and find out. Learn also about the Bicentennial Trail Ride from Boston to Paris Hill, the Bicentennial Quilt, the Oxford County Bears and the Grand Bicentennial Celebration on Paris Hill. Watch for the new bicentennial sign on Route 26, too.

Contact person: Leonard L. Brooks (207) 926-4597

Curves Supports Communities Nationwide with 7th Annual Food Drive

New Gloucester Preschool silent auction and public supper
Mark your calendars! A public supper and silent auction will be held at the First Congregational Church in New Gloucester on March 19th. The silent auction runs from 4-7 and has over 40 items to bid on! The supper runs from 5-6:30 and includes spaghetti and meatballs in homemade sauce, dinner rolls, tossed salad, homemade desserts, and beverages. All proceeds will benefit the Block House Preschool Scholarship Fund.

Adults $6, children $3, family $20. All are welcome without fee to participate in the silent auction! For more information, call Liz Shampine at 926-4523.

Final phase of annual Girl Scout cookie sale now in progress
Initial Phase of Annual Sale Below Projections by $120,000
Girl Scouts of Kennebec Council Seeking to Close Gap Through Booth Sales

The Girl Scouts of Kennebec Council annual Girl Scout Cookie sale will continue through March 26. Look for Girl Scouts to be selling cookies at high traffic locations in your community. These cookie booths will play an especially important part in this year's sale as the first phase of the sale is below projections by $120,000.

All of your favorites will be available for a few short weeks, then they're gone until next year!!

Not only does the Girl Scout cookie program provide Americans with their favorite treats; it provides girls with invaluable skills that they will use throughout their lives - opportunities for girls to acquire business and financial skills, explore the creative worlds or advertising and marketing, and learn the fun, friendship and power of girls working together. By following the Girl Scout Promise and Law, Girl Scouts across the country are developing a strong sense of business ethics.

For a list of cookie booth sale locations, please visit www.gskc.org or contact Carol Smith at 772-1177 or carols@gskc.org. If you can't make it to one of the booth locations, cookies will be available at the Girl Scout office - 138 Gannett Drive in South Portland. Girl Scouts of Kennebec Council serves more than 10,000 girls and 3,000 adult volunteers in Androscoggin, Cumberland, Franklin, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Sagadahoc, Somerset, and York counties.

Buttons, Buttons everywhere!
March 19, 2 p.m. - Button Collecting: An Informal Talk at the Bridgton Public Library. Includes refreshments and button-show-and-tell. Right, Hazel Cook and Ruth Harju, who will give an illustrated talk about the wonders and intricacies of button collecting.

Irish supper
Come to Sacred Heart/Saint Dominic's Grand Opening/Saint Patrick's Day Celebration on March 12, and enjoy the world's best corned beef and cabbage in our newly renovated parish hall, corner of Mellen and Sherman Streets, Portland. 5pm social followed by dinner at 5:30, entertainment, and dancing. Adults $10, Children/Seniors $6.00, Family Cap for immediate family members $30. All tickets must be purchased in advance in the main church after weekend masses (2/19-3/6) or through the Parish Office at 80 Sherman Street in Portland (please call 772-6182 from 8:15-12:15pm, Monday through Friday).

Ingraham to Host Crisis Hotline Volunteer Training

Ingraham is seeking community members interested in volunteering on our crisis hotline. Training will take place on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings for four weeks starting April 7. Hotline volunteers will provide phone support, information and arrange financial assistance for those in need. Ingraham is a non-profit human service agency recognized for meeting the crisis, residential and support needs of individuals and families in greater Portland. Anyone interested in volunteering on Ingraham's support, intervention, and referral hotline 774-HELP, is invited to contact Jennifer Van Damm, Volunteer Coordinator at 874-1055.

Substance Abuse help

If you are concerned about ADDICTION -- your own or another's -- The Women's Project can help. We are a group of nurses who offer free and confidential statewide services for women affected by substance abuse. If you or someone you care about could use our help, call us at 1-800-611-1588 (Southern Maine) or 1-800-611-1779 (Northern Maine). TTY line: 874-1013. The Women's Project is part of People's Regional Opportunity Program, offering a hand up to people as they make positive changes in their lives.